Detaching ice from surfaces is important in applications such as, for example, deicing of equipment that is stationary or is used outdoors (e.g., aircraft, power lines, roadways, roofs), deicing of equipment that builds up ice in operation (e.g., heat exchangers, freezers), and icemaking equipment.
In conventional residential and commercial ice makers, ice is slowly grown from water cooled by a cold plate or grid. After ice growth is completed, the cold plate/grid is heated slowly above an ice melting point to release the ice; this heating stage Consumes both energy and time, thus reducing ice-maker efficiency and productivity. Moreover, it takes significant heat flow to warm up ice-maker hardware and the grown ice from ice growth temperature to the ice melting point. It then takes even more time and energy to re-cool the ice-maker hardware before new ice begins to grow.